'We'll swap one territory for another' — Zelensky on trade territory in potential peace talks with Russia

 

President Volodymyr Zelensky has indicated his willingness to engage in territorial exchanges if U.S. President Donald Trump successfully facilitates negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, according to a February 11 interview with *The Guardian*.

In August 2024, Ukrainian forces launched a surprise cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast, initially seizing approximately 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of territory. Although Ukrainian forces have since lost about half of that area, they recently advanced 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) in a new offensive. Zelensky has previously stated that the Ukrainian military continues to hold Russian territory which could play a significant role in future negotiations.

"We will swap one territory for another," Zelensky told *The Guardian*, without specifying which Russian-occupied areas Ukraine would seek in return. "I don't know, we will see. But all our territories are important; there is no priority," he added.

Discussions about ending Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine have intensified since President-elect Donald Trump assumed office on January 20. Keith Kellogg, Trump's special envoy for Ukraine peace, stated on January 8 that the new administration aims to end the war within 100 days of Trump's inauguration. According to sources from Ukraine's Presidential Office, cited by *RBC-Ukraine*, Kellogg is scheduled to visit Ukraine on February 20 following the Munich Security Conference.

On February 7, Trump revealed plans to meet with Zelensky in Washington the following week. He also recently mentioned that the U.S. seeks access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals in exchange for aid. Zelensky responded that Kyiv is open to mining agreements with international partners.

Trump has reportedly discussed ending the war with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In an interview with the *New York Post*, Trump claimed to have a concrete plan to end the conflict, stating, "I hope it's fast. Every day, people are dying. This war is so bad in Ukraine. I want to end this damn thing."

In a separate development, Ukraine's Armed Forces General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces struck Russia's Saratov oil refinery in a drone attack overnight on February 11. Unverified social media videos showed a large fire and searchlights near the refinery. The General Staff stated that the facility, which produces gasoline, fuel oil, and diesel, supplies Russian occupation forces in Ukraine. The attack was carried out by Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, military intelligence agency (HUR), Special Operations Forces, and other units.

The Russian Telegram channel *Shot* also reported at least 11 explosions over Engels, a city near the Saratov refinery. The Engels-2 airbase, a strategic aviation site repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian long-range strikes, is located nearby.

Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on February 11 that the U.S. plans to review its global troop deployment but has no intention of sending troops to Ukraine. Hegseth made the remarks during a press conference in Stuttgart, Germany, amid ongoing discussions among Western countries about potential peacekeeping deployments if a ceasefire is negotiated.

Hegseth emphasized that Washington currently has no plans to reduce its overseas military presence but will align its deployment with Trump's strategic vision. He also expressed hope for a swift peace agreement in Ukraine, which Trump has pledged to achieve. Hegseth is expected to attend the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG), also known as the Ramstein summit, during a tour of Germany, Belgium, and Poland. However, he is unlikely to announce new military aid packages, a departure from the practice under the Biden administration.

The transition of power in Washington and anticipated shifts in U.S. policy toward Ukraine have raised questions about the future of the Ramstein summit. For the first time since its establishment, the February meeting was convened by the U.K. rather than the U.S.

In other developments, South Korea's Defense Ministry reported on February 11 that North Korea has supplied Russia with approximately 200 long-range artillery pieces to support its war effort in Ukraine. Seoul also warned that Pyongyang may be preparing to send additional troops and arms, corroborating earlier Ukrainian intelligence reports. North Korea has reportedly provided ballistic missiles, millions of artillery shells, and other military equipment to Russia while deploying up to 12,000 troops to Kursk Oblast to counter Ukrainian incursions.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) claimed in mid-January that at least 300 North Korean soldiers had been killed and 2,700 wounded in Kursk Oblast. Ukrainian estimates place North Korean casualties as high as 4,000. Despite these losses, Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov predicted that North Korea might soon send reinforcements, including artillery units, to Russia.

On the battlefield, soldiers of Ukraine's 63rd Separate Mechanized Brigade shared footage on February 11 showing the destruction of a rare Russian Smerch-2 anti-submarine rocket launcher by drones in the Lyman sector of Donetsk Oblast. Drones have become a critical asset for both Ukraine and Russia, used extensively for reconnaissance and combat operations. Ukraine has developed and deployed a wide range of drones, delivering over 200,000 domestically produced units to front-line forces in December alone.

The Smerch-2, a Soviet-era rocket launcher designed to destroy submarines, was mounted on a Ural vehicle and concealed in the forests of the Lyman sector before being targeted and destroyed.